Despite shortcomings, Jags QB Blake Bortles to start vs. Bills

When the Doug Marrone-led Jacksonville Jaguars visit New Era Field in Week 12, quarterback Blake Bortles will be the man under center once again, according to reports out of Florida.

The Buffalo Bills (3-7) enter the game with the same record as the Jags. However, with a rookie QB in Josh Allen, many perceived that the Bills were taking a step back in 2019 to rebuild.

That wasn’t the plan in Jacksonville.

After an AFC Championship appearance last season, a playoff run which began with a Wild Card win over the Bills, the Jaguars were supposed to ride their defense to a Super Bowl. Instead, they’ve lost six-straight games.

While like many cases, it’s not only one thing that’s gone wrong. In the case of Bortles, he’s certainly not helping his team in most games.

Bortles has had a far share of strong games, but more often than not, his performances mirror what his team saw from him last week. Bortles had 104 yards on 10-of-18 passing. He didn’t turn the ball over, but that’s not a pretty stat line in the pass-happy NFL of 2018. The Jags also allowed the Pittsburgh Steelers to erase a 16-point lead, the largest comeback Jacksonville has ever allowed at home.

Regardless, Cody Kessler, the Jags’ backup QB, will remain the backup against the Bills, according to Marrone on Monday.

“At times like this, people are going to ask those questions, and we’re continually trying to work together to try to figure out a way to put this complete game in, to do a better job from my standpoint to the coaches and to the players,” Marrone said to reporters via Jacksonville.com.

On Bortles’ confidence, Marrone said he wasn’t worried but admitted he can’t exactly answer that question.

“I don’t know,” Marrone said of Bortles’ confidence. “I think he can better answer that question. I can’t get into his mind.”

“My focus right now is on trying to figure out a way to win a game,” Marrone added.

En route for Bortles on Monday is a tough matchup against the Bills’ defense. Overall, Buffalo is the No. 2 ranked unit (302.2 yards-per-game allowed). The Bills’ secondary, led by shutdown cornerback Tre’Davious White and arguably the NFL best safety duo of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, is the league’s best pass defense, allowing on 202.4 yards a game.

With the combination of Bortles’ struggles and their own stout play against the pass, the Bills’ defense should likely expect a heavy dose of running back Leonard Fournette on Sunday.